Furniture rest or shoe



Dec. 15, 1931. w. F. HEROLD FURNITURE REST ORMSHOE ,Filed Dec. 16, 19292 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. WALTER FHE ULIJ.

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 15, 1931.- w( F. HEROLD v FURNITURE REST 0R SIHOE Filed Dec. l6,1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY tilting action a function of such means.

Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER I. HEB/OLD, FUPPER MON TCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO THE BASSICK COMPANY, OFBRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT FURNITURE REST ORSHOE Application filed December 16, 1929. Serial No. 414,415.

The present invention relates to an improved furniture rest or shoe,particularly of the type adapted to have a tilting action with respectto the furniture leg, and has for an object to provide a device of thischaracter in which the relatively movable parts will be resiliently heldagainst looseness and rattling, at the same time permitting free tiltingaction.

Another object is to provide a slide in which the resilient means willmaintain its normal relation in the tilted position of the furniture, sothat there is no distortion of the resilient means as would be the casewere tit: further object is to provide a slide in which the deflectionof the resilient means under excessive load is limited to apredetermined point, and deterioration due to excessive deflection isprevented.

With the above and other objects in View, embodiments of the inventionare shown in the accompanying drawings, and these embodiments will behereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and theinvention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a furniture rest or shoe, according to thepresent embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, and also shows beneath the slidethe upper end of a drive pin adapted for driving the same into thefurniture leg.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, showing the device attached to afurniture leg and in tilted position. i

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing the device attached to afurniture leg, and in its relation under excessive load.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a further modified form showing apintle and socket attaching means.

Fig. 8 is a verticalsectional view of another modification having acotter pin-like attaching means.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the furniture rest or shoe, according to thepresent embodiment of the invention, comprises a base 10, preferablysolid and formed of bakelite or other suitable material, having a flatfloorengaging bottom surface 11, and provided centrally of its uppersurface with a semispherical dome 12, surrounded by an annular recess13. A central opening 14 extends vertically through the base, beingrestricted, as at 15, to provide an annular shoulder, and being flaredoutwardly above said shoulder, as at 16. The dome 12 is of a suitableradius to provide a curved seat for the tilting part of the device, andalso to provide ample material to resist crushing stresses between theupper surface and the wall of the opening 14.

The attaching means comprises a tubular stud or pin 17 engaged throughthe opening 14: for tilting movement and having a shoulder 18 upon whichthere is secured an apertured inverted cup member 19, having adownwardly bent flange 20 at its inner periphery, the lower edge ofwhichrests upon the shoulder 18 in substantiallyflush relation, the cupbeing secured by swedging the pin above the same to form a retainingflange 21.

A concavo-convex centrally apertured metal washer 22 is engaged upon thedome 12 of the base, its lower edge being normally spaced from the baseof the dome, so that it may have a tilting movement upon the .dome, andits upper edge being flanged upwardly as at 23 and slidably engageduponthe stud 17, the engaging surfaces of the flange and stud beingcylindrical. The upper edge of the Washer is normally slightly spacedfrom the inner top surface of the cup member, while the lower edge ofthe cup member is slightly spaced from the upper surface of the washer,and a coil spring 24: is positioned Within the cup member and exerts anexpanding pressure upon the cup and washer pressing the washerdownwardly into snug contact with the dome and pressing the base intosnug contact with the stud.

As above pointed out the stud is loosely engaged for tilting movement inthe openin let of the base, being provided at its lower end with anenlarged rounded head 25 which engages the shoulder 15 to thereby retainthe parts in connected relation, the lower end of the pin terminatinginwardly from the lower surface of the base 10. The curvature of thehead 25 is upon the same radius as that of the dome 12 and theconcavo-convex washer The surface of the pin between the shoulder 18 andthe head 25 is flared, as at 26, so that while a substantialshoulder isprovided for seating the cup member the flared surface is such that itwill engage the flared wall 16 of the opening 14 in the tilted relationin parallel relation therewith, as shown in Fig.

4, limiting the tilting action with a minimum of strain upon theparts,and .permittingof a maximum tilt without sacrifice of strength.

The portionof the pin above the base of the. cup member is of slightlysmaller diameterthan the portion below the cup, its

outer surface being cylindrical and of the same diameter from theretaining flange 21 to its .upper extremity. The upper end 15 sharpenedby :beveling the inner surface, as

The device isadapted to be. driven into the furniture leg, preferablyinto the end grain of the wood, hammer blows applied directly upon thetubular center pin, and without engaging the tilting base, and forthispurpose a 'driving pin 28 is supplied with eachset of rests. Ashoulder 29 is provided at theupperend of the driving pin ofsubstantially the diameter of the; tubular center pin,--and-also'thereis provided a projecting stud'30 adapted to be, inserted in the openingof the center pin, so that the latter. is thereby rigidly connected andsupported in axial relation upon the. driving pin. ;The length of thecombined driving pin and rest is such that in driving. thelatter into.the furniture leg.the same maybe accurately ,held in aligned relationwith the leg during the .driving, andtheforce of the blows istransmitted directly to the center pin.

The tubular pim, due to the-beveled inner surface of the cutting edgeand the cylindrical outer surface, enters the wood without 1exertingany. outward splitting or cracking strains, the cylindrical cutproduced being no larger th an. the outer diameter .ofthe tube.'Atthesame time a dowel 2-5 of the wood is compressed andv wedgedwithin. the tube, and

- duev to thenatural elasticity. of the wood this dowel exerts .aconstant outward pressure against the inner wallofthetube andeffectually resists outward pull on the device. ,Zhile I haveillustrated this particular type of attaching. stud, it will beunderstood that. other. types and means may be employed.

The coil spring 24, while permitting free tilting movement resilientlymaintains the parts against looseness and rattling, .so that the slidewill not rattle .when lifted from engagement with the floor and will notchatter when the furniture is slid upon the floor. The relation of thecup member, stud, and washer is such that in the tilted position thespring maintains its normal position and function, and is not subject todistortion at one side or the other as the furniture is tilted. Underexcessive load the cup member has a limited downward movement intoengagement-with the-washer, as shown in Fig. 5, the spring being onlyslightly compressed, so that no deterioration from excessive andprolonged compression results. The spring also function as a cushionwhen the slide is suddenly engaged with a hard floor, reducing the noiseof impact and relieving the base "from sudden -j ar, which in thecase offragile material being used for the base might tend to break or crackit.

In Fig. GI havezshowna modification. in whicha rubber ring 31 isinserted in the cup member instead of the coil-spring, as provided inthe first embodiment, and functions in substantially the same manner tomaintain the washer, base, and studagainst looseness and rattling, andto provide an impact cushion. Under excessive load the cup member .andwasher contact without. excessive deflection of the rubber ring.

InFig. 7 I have. shown a modification in which the stud 17 is. solid,and is provided with a pintle extension 32 having a head at its upperend, and adapted to be engaged in the usual grip-neck type of-castersocket 33, this socket being of tubular formandprovidedat its upperportion. with inwardly bent spring portions34.

.In Fig. 8 .I have shown a further modification in which the stud 17 isof tubular form and, terminates at its upper end substantial- 1 1y flushwith the cup member 19. The lower headed end 25 is of bell-like form,having a socket 35 formed interiorlyand within this socket thereisenga-ged the eye or head end 36 of a split attaching pin 37 formed bybending wire ofsubstantially semi-circular cross section uponitself, theeye orhead 36 being. formed at the bight, so that the pin beforeassemblywith the base has the appearance of a cotter pin.

The pin is assembled upwardly through the passage of the stud 17, inwhich the two legs of the pin fit snugly. The two legs are bent orspread outwardly-just above the stud, as at 38, forming a lateralenlargement, which retains the pinin relation to thestud andfurtherprov-idesaa bottom bearing and retaining means withinthe socket33, which is similar to the grip-neck socket shown in connection withthe modification illustrated in Fig. 7. The pin is also bent or spreadat its upper end, as at 39,.and is adapted to engage above the upperspring end of the socket. The upper extremities of the pin arebent-inwardly. toward each other but are spaced about to permit inwardcompression of the two legs, the straight portions of the two legs beingalso spaced apart for this purpose. The resilient nature of the pin issuch that it can be inserted directly in a drilled hole in the leg,without the grip-neck socket, and will frictionally retain the slide inplace.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodimentsof the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be madetherein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. A furniture rest, comprising a floor engaging basehaving shouldered opening therein, attaching means comprising a lowerportion engaged in said shouldered opening to permit tilting movementand an upper portion fixedly connected to said lower portion and adaptedto be engaged in the furniture leg, resilient means adapted toresiliently press said lower portion into relation with said shoulderand means adapted to limit the deflection of said resilient means underload to a predetermined point.

2. A furniture rest, comprising a floor engaging base having a topsurface shaped to provide a curved seat, attaching means comprising alower portion engaged with the base to permit tilting movement and anupper portion fixedly connected to said lower portion and adapted to beengaged in the furniture leg, a bearing member having a curved surfaceengaged with said curved seat of the base and adapted to have tiltingmovement with respect thereto, and resilient means interposed betweensaid attaching means and said bearing member and adapted to resilientlypress said attaching means and said bearing member into relation withsaid base.

3. A furniture rest, comprising a floor engaging base having a topsurface shaped to provide a curved seat, attaching means comprising alower portion engaged with the ass to permit tilting movement and anupper portion fixedly connected to said lower portion and adapted to beengaged in the furniture leg, a bearing member having a curved surfaceengaged with the curved seat of the base and axially slidable withrespect to said attaching means, said attaching means and bearing memberadapted to have unitary tilting movement with respect to said base, abutment means rigidly secured to said attaching means in upwardly spacedrelation to said bearing member, and resilient means interposed betweensaid abutment means and said caring member and adapted to resilientlypress said attaching means and said bearing member into relation withsaid base.

4. A furniture rest, comprising a floor engaging base having a topsurface shaped to provide a curved seat, attaching means comprising alower portion engaged with the base to permit tilting movement and anupper portion fixedly connected to said lower portion and adapted to beengaged in the furniture leg, a bearing member having a curved surfaceengaged with the curved seat of the base and axially slidable withrespect to said attaching means, said attaching means and bearing memberadapted to have unitary tilting movement with respect to said base,

